RahXephon

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G4 (ended 2005)
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Show Summary

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The city of Tokyo has been overthrown, taken over by the Mu, invaders who have devastated the rest of the planet. Within the domed walls of the city, however, time flows in a different path, and none of the citizens even know they've been conquered. Outside Tokyo, the remnants of the human race have fought a desperate 15-year war against the Mu, knowing only that the key to victory lies within the occupied city. But no one has been able to get into Tokyountil Ayato Kamina, a young resident fleeing a horrifying attack on the city, unwittingly breaks out. An extraordinary mystery unfolds as Ayato confronts a world he has never known, and begins to learn the horrifying secrets of RahXephon, a humanoid super weapon which apparently only he can control.moreless
8.4
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Episode Guide

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S 1 :  Ep 27 Aired 4/19/03
S 1 :  Ep 26 Aired 11/25/05
S 1 :  Ep 26 Aired 1/1/03
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S 1 :  Ep 25 Aired 11/25/05
S 1 :  Ep 25 Aired 1/1/03
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Fan Reviews (8)

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  • Although this show is somwhat a clone to Neon Genesis: Evangelion, it's still really enjoyable.

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By ffmotorsports51, Apr 28, 2011
    I watched this anime a few times and it's pretty enjoyable. This show is about Ayato Kamina, a normal high-school boy who one day encounters Reika Mishima, a quiet girl who guides him to a giant egg in which inside lies the RahXephon, a robot which only Ayato can pilot. When Ayato onboard the RahXephon escapes Tokyo Jupiter and crashes, he meets Haruka Schtow in which he does not realize until near the end is his first love but 15 years older. The time difference between Tokyo Jupiter and Earth is 12 years. Ayato is only 3 years older while Haruka is 15 years older. While on Earth, Ayato works for a military organization to help fight of an alien race called the "Mu" which are blue blooded creatures that have been fighting humans on Earth for 15 years. The story in this anime is really good. It somewhat follows the premise of Neon Genesis: Evangelion, but it's more mystical and invigorating. The soundtrack is well done, I like all of it as a matter of fact.The action in this anime is awesome. The action has a Gundam-like feel and is filled with emotion. The characters in this anime are pretty good. I like all of them except for the bad guys hahaha. So anyway if you haven't seen this anime, I strongly recommend you see this anime and I guarantee you will want to watch this anime over and over again. It's just that good!moreless

  • A special anime.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By John666666666, May 27, 2007
    Another anime that's arguably is one of the top ten anime ever. RahXephon is compared by many to Neon Genesis Evangelion. Most say it's better just because it came out a little over a year first. I whole heartily disagree. Evangelion was a complete waste of time. Where Evangelion had a convoluted story, annoying charcters, and bad music. Where Evangelion fails RahXephon succeeds. Rahxephon follows the story of Ayato Kamina who lives in Tokyo, the last out post of the human race. At least that's what he believes until he meets Reika Mishima. She secretly has known him since they were children. She convinces Ayato to leave Tokyo with her, and they escape aboard a giant robot called the RahXephon. When they leave Tokyo every thing changes for Ayato. He learns that there are people still alive on earth outside of Tokyo, and that the people inside Tokyo are called MU and aren't human. RahXephon blends all the elements of drama, action, romance and some comedy beautifully. There's nothing to complain about. The story is crafted perfectly and coherently so you can understand what they creators of the show are trying to say. The animation style is great, and the music is classic. I loved them adding classical music to anime. Ultimately though what made this a great anime were the characters. None of them were annoying, each growing and moving forward, showing emotion and making you believe they are alive and care about them. I first watched RahXephon back in 2003. I just recently finished watching it for the fourth time. I haven't seen to many anime that are better than RahXephon. I will keep recommending it over Neon Genesis Evangelion. It's a must see.moreless

  • RahXephon is your basic mecha anime (except the mecha sing and Egyptian terminology is used throughout), but upon closer inspection, it's a story of relationships, self-acceptance, and the strength of the human spirit.moreless

    9.2
    "Superb"
    By timbellion1, Feb 19, 2007
    At first glance, RahXephon is your basic mecha anime (except the mecha sing and Egyptian terminology is used throughout), but upon closer inspection, it's a story of relationships, self-acceptance, and the strength of the human spirit.

    RahXephon follows the story of Ayato Kamina, a teenaged boy whose life is turned upside down when an attack by alien invaders destroys downtown Tokyo. Soon afterwards, Ayato discovers that everything he was ever taught is a farce; Tokyo is in fact closed off from the rest of the world, and under the control of a civilization dubbed the MU. In order to discover the truth of his identity and the world around him, Ayato escapes from Tokyo and agrees to pilot the RahXephon, a mysterious, angel-like robot.

    While the first few episodes or so are rather slow-paced, the series picks up considerably during the second half. The events and revelations throughout the series are well timed with major plot twists revealed even during the last few scenes; clearly a lot of thought was put into the planning of the story. Not that the story is without its faults. While many find RahXephon's heavy symbolism to be enjoyable, the series is often so bogged down by its symbolic imagery and references that the story appears much more complicated than it actually is. Furthermore, the series never goes out of its way to explain its events to the viewers, so quite a bit of thinking is required in order to grasp the entire story. This is only recommended to those who have the patience to deal with the series' complexities.

    As with all other quality work, RahXephon sports well-crafted and multi-layered characters. Throughout the series, the personalities of supporting characters are fleshed out without losing focus on the main characters. Characters often transcend the stereotype they're grouped in; for example, Megumi, who acts like a typical outspoken and carefree teenaged girl, shows later in the series that she is much more emotionally mature than she appears.

    Likewise, character interaction is one of the best aspects of the series. The series contains clever, but focused dialogue in both sub and dub script. The script coupled with detailed facial expressions reveal a lot about the characters in just a few short scenes.

    As a somewhat personal nitpick, while the characters are often sympathetic, none can be described as lovable. Despite the large cast, there were few characters whom I felt personally attached to. The story, however, is so involving that RahXephon needs not rely on its characters to carry the story.

    This series also boasts some of the best-looking and most fluid animation I've seen in any anime series, and the high quality is not limited to mecha fights only; the animation looks great both during and outside of the battle scenes.

    The art suits the animation well, and it especially looks great when it utilizes a sort-of watercolor effect. (This can be seen used in the Mu Fortress and Ayato's painting.)

    While the character designs are not terribly complex, they are both suitable and do a good job of distinguishing each character. On the other hand, the mecha designs are really magnificent in comparison. Though the Dolems are usually not nearly as complex as the Xephons, each Dolem has its own unique design, and considering the amount of different Dolems that appear throughout the series, that achievement is quite impressive.

    As is expected from Yoko Kanno, the music is also top-notch. The compositions are often subdued as stand-alone pieces, but as background music, they complement the scenes perfectly.

    Per usual, the Japanese voice acting is well done, so sub fans have no reason to worry. I feel I must, however, highlight the dub track, as it's actually quite excellent. The voice acting of the dub gets better as the series progresses, so while it may seem mediocre throughout the first couple episodes, by the start of the third volume (episode 10), the quality of the dub track is about equal to that of the sub. I highly recommend that fans at least give the dub a chance, especially if they've seen the entire series subbed.

    In the two years since I first watched RahXephon, I simply cannot stop recommending it to others. It features a few of the most powerfully executed dramatic scenes in any anime, and is one of the only series I can re-watch a second and third time, and still be amazed by. In the end, what really differentiates RahXephon from most other intelligent anime is its uplifting messages; that the individual does have power over his own life, and that love is the most beautiful and powerful thing a person can experience. RahXephon will not appeal to everyone, but those who can stomach its somewhat overblown symbolism, and recognize the exceptional quality of the series will experience a journey of love, regret, self-discovery, and what it is to be human.moreless

  • Silly plagiarism, nothing more. Pretty animation and music, but if you will look little deeper, you will see nothing (usual case for all Sheep Dolly\'s children).

    2.0
    "Terrible"
    By _Mond_, Aug 18, 2006
    Just trashy Evangelion clone. I even smiled few times watching this \"masterpiece of japanese animation\". The story repeats NGE so precisely, so straightly, that it is funny. They match even is the quantity of series. All this is like, you know, taking a popular book, copying its text to MS Word, replacing all words with synonims, and trying to publish the result. Of course the result will have no sense, but who cares...
    Only one thing is really incomprehensible for me - why creators of this chose such hard one as Eva. I guess it is much easier to make money on cloning Halloween or Godzilla. :Dmoreless

  • This anime rocks. The characters are great, the episodes are extreme, and the rest is better than ever!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By kitten_girl_979, Mar 27, 2006
    The reason why I gave this show a 10 is because it rocks! I don\'t know why, but it does. G4 aired it less than a year a ago. The show became the coolest ever since!

    The characters are great because of how our history may relate to what we go through today. There\'s a war going on and sometimes, it\'s our right and duty to protect and serve our country.

    The episodes, of course, are extreme because it somehow as good as it gets now. Although I didn\'t see all the episodes, I was inspired to think of the world around us.
    moreless
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Animation, Drama, Science Fiction

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Anime, Love & Romance, Robots & Androids

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